Labyrinth game device



p 1957 M. E. FRIEDKIN 2,806,703 7 LABYRINTH GAME DEVICE Filed Feb. 13, 1956 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS exit path 15.

States Patent Ofiice Patented Sept. 17, 1957 LABYRINIH GAME DEVICE Morris E. Friedkin, Kirkwood, Mo.

Appiieation February 13, 1956, Serial No. 564,999

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-134) This invention relates generally to amusement devices, and more particularly to a labyrinth game in which the movement of playing pieces is chance controlled.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a game device that may be played by both adults and children, the game device having variations in the rules of play so that the interest of persons in all age groups is assured.

Another object is to provide a novel labyrinth game device having playing pieces, the movement of which is chance controlled.

Still another object is to provide an economically manufactured game device that is simple enough to be under stood and played by children, yet also interesting and amusing to adults.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

Briefly, the present invention comprises a game device including a game board having intersecting alternate paths of movement thereon, playing pieces adapted to be moved in the paths on the game board, and media for controlling the movement of the playing pieces into one of the alternate paths at each intersection.

The invention also consists in the parts and elements, and in the arrangements and combinations thereof to be described and claimed hereinafter. In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and wherein like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a game board embodying the features of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a playing piece, and

Fig. 3 is a view showing media for controlling the movement of the playing piece on the board.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the present invention is embodied in a playing or game board (Fig. l), a playing piece or marker 11 (Fig. 2), and a plurality of cards 12 or the like (Fig. 3).

The playing board it; is preferably rectangular in shape and includes a playing area 13 having entrance and exit paths 1% and 15, respectively, which form starting and finish or goal points for playing the game. The playing area 13 is divided into a plurality of paths 16 by boundary lines 17, the paths in having indicia for identifying one path from another. in the present embodiment of the invention, the paths 16 are identified by colors, such as orange 18, yellow 19 and green 20, although other distinguishing marizin s or colors may be used. A plurality of intersections 21 are provided in the playing area 13,

each of which forms a stop or advancement point in playing the game. One of each of the differently colored aths (18, 19 and 2'3) is connected to each of the intersections 21 so that alternate paths are presented to the movement of the playing piece 11 at each of the intersections 21. It is now apparent that the playing piece 11 is moved into the playing area 13 at the entrance path 14 and moves progressively in a series of steps toward the Each of the alternate paths from one intersection 21 leads to a different intersection so that various routes may be followed to advance the playing piece 11 to the exit path 15. Some of the paths are cul-desacs 22 or paths having only one entrance so that the movement of the playing piece must be reversed, in which case the playing piece 11 may be moved backwards toward the entrance path 14. Of course, other arrangements of paths 16, intersections 21 and cul-de-s'acs 22 may be used.

The playing piece 11 (Fig. 2) is provided with an arrow-shaped body 23 having a finger tab 24 so that the playing piece 11 is more easily handled. Although an arrow-shaped playing piece 11 has been shown, any form of marker or pointer may be provided.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the cards 12 have been shown as one medium providing indicia for determining which paths 16 are to be followed by the playing piece 11. When colored paths 18, 19 and 20 are provided in the playing area, a deck including three sets 25, 26 and 27 of cards 12 is employed. Each of the cards of each set is identical with the other cards in the same set. In Fig. 3 one card of each of the three sets are shown in bent condition to show that the two sides of each card are diiferent colors corresponding to two of the three colors of the paths on the game board 10, and each set of cards has a different combination of colors than the cards in the other two sets of cards. For instance, each card in one set 25 is provided with a green side 26 and a yellow side 19', each card in the second set 26 is provided with an orange side 18' and a green side 20', and each card in the third set 27 is provided with a yellow side 19 and an orange side 18. It is now apparent that in the preferred embodiment of the game device, three different colors are used to distinguish the paths of the game board 10 and a deck of cards 12 having at least one card from each of the sets 25, 26 and 27, is provided. As previously set forth, the paths may be provided with other indicia or markings, such as crosshatching as shown in the drawings, in which case the cards will also be provided with similar cross-hatching indicia instead of color.

The movement of playing piece 11 from one path across an intersection 21 to one of the other paths'is determined by moving cards from the top of the deck to a discard pile until a card is exposed having a side of the same color as the path from which the playing piece 11 is to be moved. This card is then turned over and the color of the other side indicates which of the alternate paths is to be taken. This procedure is followed for each move that is made during the game. Accordingly, movement of the playing piece through the labyrinth of paths is controlled by chance.

The labyrinth game may be played by any number of persons, each person having a playing piece 11. The deck of cards is shufiled and the playing pieces of the players are placed on the entrance path 14. The first player removes cards from the top of the deck until a card having the entrance path color (yellow) appears. This card is then inverted and the color on the other side (orange or green) indicates which path (left or right) is to be taken by the playing piece of the first player. The playing piece 11 of each of the other players, in turn, is then moved in a similar manner. When the first players turn comes, cards 12 are removed from the top of the deck until the same color appears as the color of the path on which the playing piece of the first player is resting. This card is then turned over and the playing piece is moved into the path having the same color as the other side of the card. For instance, assuming the first card turned up by the first player showed a green side 20 to indicate that the playing piece 11 was to be moved to the right from the entrance path 14, then the cards must be removed from the top of the deck on the second turn of the first player until a green side 20' is exposed. When this card is inverted, the opposite side may be orange'18 so that the playingpiece is moved across the intersection 21 into the orange path 18. This movement of the playing piece of the first player is shown in arrows in Fig. 1. The game proceeds with each player moving his playing piece into the path indicated by turning the first card having an exposed side of the same color as the path from which the playing piece is to be moved. The discarded cards are reshuffled and used throughout the game. The game is won by the player who first moves a playing piece into the exit path 15.

As pointed out hereinbefore, reversals in the movement of the playing piece 11 may occur because of the cul-de-sacs 22. Similarly, the paths 16 are circuitous and in a labyrinth-type arrangement so that a playing piece could easily be moved into a path leading to the entrance path 14 rather than the exit path 15.

Other rules may be adopted by more advanced players. For instance, in a two player competition six cards are used, two with each color combination. The cards do notform a deck, but are separated so that the players may arbitrarily select either one showing the same color as the path on which his playing piece 11 is resting. The positions of the specific cards are soon memorized and the players may then control the movements of their playing pieces 11 toward the goal. In this form of the game, each of the players is given an option of moving the opponents playing piece instead of his own playing piece. In addition, once a path 16 has been taken by a playing piece 11, it cannot be used again by the same piece unless a cul-de=sac 22 is reached.

It is now apparent that a labyrinth game device having infinite variations in rules, pathways and identifying media has been devised, the game being simple enough to be understood and played even by pre-school children. It is to be understood that all changes and modifications in the present disclosure, which will be readily apparent to all skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. A game device comprising a playing piece; a playing area having entrance and exit paths and a plurality of intermediate paths having distinguishable identifying means thereon, and a plurality of intersections to which one of each of said distinguishable paths is connected to provide alternate routes for the movement of said playing piece in said playing area between said intersection; and chance means for selecting one of the distinguishable identifying means of said paths for determining which route is to be taken by said playing piece in moving from each of said intersections.

2. The game device according to claim 1 wherein said identifying means for said paths comprises three different colors, one of each of said different colored paths being connected to each of said intersections, and said chance means comprises three sets of cards, each card having a difierent color on each side. and each set of cards using a different combination of two of the colors than the other sets.

3. A labyrinth game device comprising a game board having a playing area, said playing area having boundary lines defining 'a plurality of paths one of which is a goal, a plurality of intersections, each of which is positioned in said playing area to have three paths leading therefrom, each of said three paths being provided with different identifying means; a playing piece movable from one of said intersections in one of the three paths leading therefrom and means provided with the difierent identifying means 4 of said paths for arbitrarily determining which of the paths is to be followed by said playing piece in movement from said intersection whereby the movement of said playing piece is chance controlled.

4. A labyrinth game device comprising a game board having a playing area with entrance and exit paths, a plurality of intersections in said playing area two of which are at one end of said entrance and exit paths, a plurality of other paths arranged in said playing area so that three of said paths are connected with each of said intersections, said paths being identifiable by one of three distinguish able indicia and each of said three paths connected to each of said intersections having a different one of the three indicia than the other two paths connected to the same intersection; a playing piece adapted to be moved along different paths in said playing area between said entrance and exit paths by a plurality of moves delimited by said intersections; and chance controlled means for selecting one of the three indicia to determine in which of said paths the playing pieces will be moved on each of the moves thereof.

5. A labyrinth game device comprising a game board having a playing area with entrance and exit paths, a plurality of intersections in said playing area two of which are at one end of said entrance and exit paths, a plurality of other paths arranged in said playing area so that three of said paths are connected to each of said intersections, said paths being identifiable by one of three distinguishable colors and each of said three paths connected to each of said intersections being a different one of the three colors than the other two paths connected to the same intersection; a playing piece adapted to be moved in the playing area between the entrance and exit paths by a plurality of moves the length of which is determined by an intersection; and chance controlled color means for arbitrarily selecting in which of said pathsthe playing piece will be moved on each of the moves thereof.

6. A labyrinth game device comprising a game board having a playing area with entrance and exit paths, an intersection at one end of each of said entrance and exit paths, at least two other paths having one end connected to each of said intersections, other intersections at the other end of said other paths, and still other paths and intersections arranged in said playing area so that three of said paths are connected to each of said intersections, said paths being identified by one of three different colors and each of the three paths connected to each intersection being of a different color; a playing piece'adapted to be moved in the playing area between the entrance and exit paths by a plurality of moves each of which is from one of said intersections along one of the paths therefrom to another of said intersections at the other end of the path taken; and chance controlled means for determining which of said paths will be taken from each intersection, said latter means comprising a deck of three sets of cards having colored sides corresponding to the colors of said paths, each card having a ditferent color on each side and each of said sets of cards having a different combination of two of the three colors than the other of said set of cards.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Oct. 13, 1954 

